Kriengsak Saensumrong has etched his name in history as the first Thai motorcycle rider to conquer the brutal Red Bull Romaniacs 2026 hard enduro rally in Romania. Racing in the Adventure Lite class (bib number 1226) for team TCT Thailand, Saensumrong transcended human limits and treacherous terrain to become the first Thai to finish the event, which is recognized globally as the world's toughest hard enduro rally.

Before the grueling competition began, Saensumrong had set a firm goal: "My objective is to finish this race, and I will carry the Thai flag with me throughout this entire journey." Today, he has proven to the world that Thai determination, skill, and strong heart can triumph on the world stage. His finish line crossing was not merely a personal victory but a proud moment for the Thai nation on a stage coveted by riders worldwide.

About Red Bull Romaniacs: The World's Toughest Test

Red Bull Romaniacs is one of the world's most prestigious and spectacular hard enduro rally and adventure bike competitions, held annually in the difficult mountain terrain surrounding the historic city of Sibiu, Romania. It is characterized by unique challenges including:

World-Class Toughness: Recognized globally as "The world's toughest hard enduro rally," it stands as the most demanding rally-raid competition on the planet.

Multi-Day Extreme Racing: Competitors battle through speed and skill in a prologue in the old city center before facing four consecutive days of intense off-road mountain riding through forests, ravines, massive boulders, and treacherous slopes.

Legendary Battleground: This venue hosts the world's elite riders, including Graham Jarvis, a seven-time hard enduro winner, and Mani Lettenbichler, the current world champion.

International Coverage: The event captivates motorsport fans worldwide through live broadcasts and coverage via the Red Bull Romaniacs official website.

The fact that a Thai athlete could endure exhaustion, dangerous terrain, and cross the finish line validates competitiveness at the international level. Saensumrong's success will inspire Thai youth and motorcycle racers to pursue their dreams and challenge their limits on the world stage.

Doctors are warning that persistent bone pain and unexplained fatigue should not be dismissed—they may signal multiple myeloma, a blood cancer stemming from abnormal plasma cells in bone marrow. Early detection significantly improves the chances of effective treatment and disease management. Dr. Liu Bo-ren, a Taiwanese physician specializing in nutritional and functional medicine, recently shared on Facebook about a patient who sought evaluation for unexplained bone pain and prolonged fatigue, only to be diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma cases have been rising in recent years. Doctors note that the incidence of this disease has shown an upward trend over the past few years. The condition develops when plasma cells—white blood cells responsible for producing antibodies—undergo malignant mutation and multiply abnormally within the bone marrow. This leads to reduced normal blood cell production and generation of abnormal proteins capable of destroying the kidneys and bones.

Remember symptoms using the "CRAB" rule. Because the disease presents with diverse symptoms and is easily misdiagnosed, doctors recommend monitoring symptoms through the simple "CRAB" mnemonic:

1. C (Calcium): High blood calcium levels result from bone destruction, causing calcium to leak into the bloodstream. This triggers thirst, frequent urination, constipation, and in severe cases, confusion or loss of consciousness.

2. R (Renal): Kidney dysfunction occurs when abnormal proteins from cancer cells clog kidney units, causing protein leakage in urine, foamy urine, and leg swelling.

3. A (Anemia): When cancer cells infiltrate bone marrow, red blood cell production declines, leading to easy fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, or shortness of breath.

4. B (Bone): Bone abnormalities are the most common symptom, particularly back pain, chest pain, or chronic bone pain. In some cases, bones may fracture spontaneously without significant trauma.

Four at-risk groups to watch. Although the precise cause remains unclear, several factors may increase risk: age 60 and older; males (slightly higher incidence than females); prolonged exposure to chemicals or toxins such as pesticides, herbicides, dioxins, or heavy metals; and obesity or chronic inflammation, which may trigger abnormal cell division.

Treatment emphasizes disease control and quality of life. Current treatment aims to control disease progression, extend patient survival, and reduce complications. Approaches include targeted therapy, immunotherapy, steroids, chemotherapy, and stem cell transplantation in eligible patients. Doctors emphasize that treatment goals extend beyond eliminating cancer cells to reducing side effects and improving patient quality of life. Nutritional care may be integrated with primary treatment, such as managing inflammation, protecting bone and kidney health, and addressing nutritional needs per medical advice.

Home care is equally important. Patients should prioritize daily health management: prevent infection through mask-wearing, regular handwashing, and avoiding raw foods due to weakened immunity; prevent falls since bones are fragile and fracture easily; and monitor urine abnormalities such as foaming or changes in volume.

The bell-shaped stupa of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn has dominated the center of Nakhon Si Thammarat for more than a thousand years. Today it is no longer merely a spiritual center for Thai people—it is a new heritage site for the world. Residents of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Thai citizens celebrated this historic moment after UNESCO's 48th World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan, South Korea, unanimously voted on July 25, 2025, to designate Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn in Nakhon Si Thammarat as a cultural world heritage site.

This marks Thailand's sixth cultural world heritage site, its ninth world heritage site overall, and the first cultural heritage site in Southern Thailand. Though historical records lack clear evidence of its origins, legend tells of Prince Thanthakumara and Princess Hemchala, two royal children from Thamburi, who brought the sacred tooth relic (Emerald Tusk) fleeing warfare to the sandy shore and built a small stupa to enshrine relics as its foundation.

In 1719, King Sri Thammaracha established Nakhon Si Thammarat and rebuilt the stupa. During the reign of King Chanthraphanusingharatmaja, the second king, he invited Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka to establish the sangha and renovated the stupa according to Sri Lankan architectural style—the inverted bell shape that appears today. According to Fine Arts Department records, the temple was originally called Wat Phra Brommathat, though whether monks permanently resided there remains unclear.

The Fine Arts Department notes that the temple's historic structures were maintained sporadically by local lords and respected elders. The governors of the time appointed a senior monk called Phra Kru Hem Jetiyanuraks as head, with four assistants who rotated custodian duties without monks taking permanent residence.

During the reign of King Mongkut (Rama VI), in 1858, he visited Nakhon Si Thammarat and appointed Phra Kru Vinaidthorn (Nun) from Wat Phet Chrik to be the abbot. From then on, the temple had a permanent abbot and resident monks. It received the new name Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn by royal decree under the Ministry of Religious Affairs' royal monastery regulations.

Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn covers 34.43 rai in a rectangular layout enclosed by a brick wall surrounding the stupa cluster—the spiritual center of the temple. It comprises one large main stupa on a high square base, four directional stupas at the corners, and 120 small stupas arranged in three concentric square rings around the main structure.

The finial of the main stupa features 52 tiered gold umbrellas, with ornate square pedestals between the bell and umbrellas decorated with stucco Buddha figures in graceful poses arranged as a circumambulatory, called the "Phra Wien." The stupa's spire stands 10.89 meters high and is sheathed in pure gold weighing 800 baht or approximately 216 kilograms—the origin of the province's motto referencing the "Golden Relic."

The significant tradition associated with the temple is the "Cloth-Raising Ceremony," in which townspeople collectively donate fabric.

Minister to the Prime Minister's Office Supamas Isarabhakdi has instructed the Government Public Relations Department and MCOT Public Company Limited to strengthen public communication following the r...

Thailand is fielding 282 para-athletes for the 5th Asian Para Games, with the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) preparing the team in coordination with the Thai Paralympic Committee and four sports associations to pursue a target of 24 gold medals.

The Thai para-sports delegation will compete in the 5th Asian Para Games scheduled for October 18–24, 2026, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Dr. Kong Sak Yodmanee, director-general of the SAT, revealed that SAT is collaborating with the Thai Paralympic Committee and four sports associations—the Thai Association of the Disabled, the Thai Association for the Blind, the Thai Cerebral Palsy Association, and the Thai Intellectual Disability Sports Association—to prepare 282 athletes for competition across 18 sports: archery, athletics (wheelchair racing), badminton, boccia, cycling, football, goalball, judo, weightlifting, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby football, and wheelchair tennis.

"The preparation of Thailand's para sports team is in excellent condition, covering athlete training camps, allowance disbursements, and sports science," said the SAT director-general.

Regarding expectations for Thailand's para-sports team at the 5th Asian Para Games, Dr. Kong Sak stated that the sports associations have set a joint target of 24 gold medals: 17 from the Thai Association of the Disabled (comprising 1 in athletics, 6 in wheelchair racing, 2 in shooting, 1 in taekwondo, 2 in wheelchair fencing, and 5 in table tennis), 5 from the Thai Cerebral Palsy Association (1 in wheelchair racing and 4 in boccia), and 2 from the Thai Association for the Blind (2 in athletics).

"The selection criteria this time follow federation qualifications and athletes' world rankings. Given the excellent preparation work by all sports associations, we are confident that Thailand's para team will achieve results in line with our targets at this Asian Para Games," the SAT director-general concluded.

At the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, in 2023, Thailand's para-sports team earned 27 gold medals, 26 silver medals, and 55 bronze medals, finishing 7th in the overall medal count. China, as host, topped the standings with 214 gold medals, 167 silver medals, and 140 bronze medals.

On August 2, 2025, police sergeant Pisit Noopinithorn from Bang Khun police station responded to a report of a body and motorcycle in a coconut plantation drainage ditch at Soi 1, Moo 6, Ban Bang Yi Long, Samut Songkhram province. Officers arrived with Dr. Naphatthorn Tanstirrapong from Naphaly Hospital and rescue workers from the Sahaparachen Samut Songkhram Foundation.

At the scene—a road within the plantation with a water channel running alongside—they found the body of 59-year-old Sompresoeng (surname withheld), a tambon subdistrict council member for Sector 2, lying face-down in a student uniform. The body showed signs of decomposition, suggesting death occurred at least 20 hours earlier. Nearby lay an overturned Yamaha motorcycle bearing a Ratchaburi license plate, and a black bag containing school materials—books, notebooks, and pens—were recovered as evidence.

According to witness Bunpong (surname withheld), age 63, also a council member and the man who discovered the scene, Sompresoeng had departed that morning of August 1 to attend an undergraduate program at Maha Chulalongkorn Buddhist University's Faculty of Social Sciences campus at Wat Intaram in Samut Songkhram, approximately 10 kilometers away. However, he never arrived at class.

When fellow students realized he was missing and unreachable, they organized a search along his route without success. This morning, they found his motorcycle and body in the plantation ditch.

Sompresoeng's wife, Pikul, age 62, disclosed that her husband suffered from chronic conditions including high blood pressure, an enlarged heart, and irregular heartbeat before he dressed in his student uniform and left home as usual. After learning he had not attended class and could not be reached, the family and friends became concerned and began searching.

Initially, authorities suspect that while riding his motorcycle to class, Sompresoeng experienced a medical collapse triggered by his chronic illness, causing him to lose control and plunge into the drainage ditch. Officers will conduct a preliminary autopsy and further investigation to determine the exact cause of death.